Texas: Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

Green Jay photo courtesy of Richard Crossley.

A Birding Best

Deemed a great birding festival when it first began in 1994, the Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival has since flourished to become a must-see for birders worldwide. Powered since the beginning by an amazing group of volunteers, this festival takes place in the heart of the richly diverse habitat of the Rio Grande Valley. Get ready to be mesmerized by the bountiful amount of birds, butterflies, and hospitality.

World famous for birds and wildlife

Located in the southernmost tip of Texas, the host city of Harligen sits between the Laguna Atascosa and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuges. The Laguna Atascosa NWR is 45,000 acres with an amazing blend of temperate, subtropical, coastal, and desert environments. This range of habitat is world-famous for its birds and home to a mix of wildlife found only in this area. Upon entering the Santa Ana NWR, you will be immersed in tropical surroundings of Spanish moss trailing from trees and a historical area of tombs and unmarked graves enclosed by a 100-year-old, hand-hewn ebony fence.

Collared Peccaries, Bobcats, and Green Jays

The Rio Grande Valley is full of species not commonly seen anywhere else in the United States. Visitors soon become accustomed to encounters with rowdy Green Jays, Plain Chachalacas, and Great Kiskadees. Wildlife sightings could include Bobcats, Collared Peccaries, Indigo Snakes, and if you are really lucky—the endangered Ocelot.

Meet interesting people

Just as amazing are the many volunteers, tour leaders, and seminar speakers who make the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival such a success. In between all the fun, be sure to visit the Eagle Optics booth. Many of the major optics manufacturers will also be on hand to demonstrate their great sport optics.